One Last Stand
by vcsaamaay
Summary: Darquesse has gone, leaving a heartbroken Valkyrie to mourn over Ghastly and Anton's death. Erskine's first pain-free hour has left him standing face to face with Skulduggery Pleasant, and a very angry Valkyrie.


**One Last Stand**

Erskine Ravel stood opposite Skulduggery Pleasant in the middle of the field, his painless hour finally starting. His strength was slowly coming back to him, his mind clear as the previous twenty three hours of pain vanished. His body was weak and numb, his expression changing every second. He didn't know what to say, what to feel, what to do. Skulduggery had remained perfectly still. The last suit that Ghastly Bespoke had made for him hung off him like large cloth, the wind rushing through it, and him. His jacket blew behind him, revealing Skulduggery's revolver sat neatly in it's holster. Skulduggery had said nothing to him, he hadn't even moved. Dexter Vex and Saracen Rue stood together, away from the two men, not wanting anything to do with Erskine. This man, who was meant to be their friend, their brother, had betrayed them and no one knew how to react. Darquesse had seen the atrocities that Ravel had done and placed upon him twenty three hours of constant pain; no matter what he did or tried to do to take away the pain, nothing would work. She did however, leave him one hour free of pain, and standing in front of Skulduggery Pleasant, was how Ravel had chosen to spend his first free hour.

Dexter and Saracen stood away from the two men, facing the opposite direction to them. Saracen had been walking around in circles trying to figure out how Ravel had gotten away with everything for so long, as Dexter stood still, often listening to Saracen's fast mumbling, but also letting his mind drift back to the thoughts of Valkyrie and Darquesse. His mind echoed as he zoned out from the rest of the world, until Saracen was nudging and hitting his arm with excessive force.

"_Dexter!_" Saracen yelled again, hitting him once more. Dexter shook his head and blinked. Saracen pointed ahead of them, where Valkyrie was striding toward them, her fists clenched, her expression stern.

"Hell." Dexter breathed.

Valkyrie strode toward Dexter and Saracen, her tears stinging her eyes, the anger flowing through her veins like poison. Her lungs burned as she breathed in mouthfuls of air, readying herself to regrettably fight the two men if they tried to stop her. Vex and Rue were staring at her, their fists clenching, but Valkyrie's eyes were stuck on Erskine as he stood opposite the skeleton. Her large strides quickened, as her walk turned into a run. She was going to kill him. He _deserved _to die. He'd killed Ghastly and Anton, two of the most important people in her life, and he's just killed them, like they were nothing but insects he'd stepped on. Valkyrie could feel the magic inside her bubbling up, ready to be violently spilled out on any willing victim, and she knew exactly where she was putting it. Her head was pounding and she could hear how fast her heart was beating. Her eyes glanced to Vex and Rue, who had already started running toward her. She closed her eyes as she reached them, dropping between them and sliding along the grass. She swung her leg, tripping Saracen up and she dodged as Dexter dived for her. She scrambled to her feet as Dexter grabbed her arm, but she spun, flipping him over her and slamming him to the ground, like he was nothing more than a doll she'd finished playing with. He cursed as his body hit the floor and Valkyrie knelt quickly beside him.

"I'm sorry." she whispered, dropping his arm and walking off. Saracen got to his feet and ran for her, but Valkyrie turned just in time, snapping her palm against the air and she sent Saracen hurtling backwards. She ran on, her eyes fixing on Erskine and panic filled his golden eyes. She knew Skulduggery would've heard her coming, but he remained still. Erskine found the strength to stumble a few steps backwards, his heart racing. Valkyrie was at them as her eyes glanced over at Skulduggery and then down at his revolver. She pushed out her hand and Skulduggery's revolver flew into it. She stopped just ahead of Skulduggery, the revolver pointing directly at Erskine's head, her fingers gripping the gun. Erskine didn't even flinch. His hands remained at his side and his eyes just filled with tears. Skulduggery moved slowly behind Valkyrie but he didn't reach for her.

"Valkyrie, I-" Erskine began.

"_No!_" Valkyrie roared, her hands trembling as tears streamed down her face. "They trusted you. We trusted you. They were your friends. They _loved _you. And you just, turn around and kill them like they were nothing? Why? Why are you doing this? They went to the sanctuary with you because they knew you were in danger, they went to protect you and you just _killed _them!" Valkyrie's shouting had turned into screams as she cried. She adjusted her hands on the revolver, her thumb pulling back the hammer. Erskine breathed heavily and Skulduggery reached over Valkyrie's shoulder.

"Valkyrie-" he began, but Valkyrie spun and threw him off.

"Don't touch me." she screamed and turned back to face Erskine, the gun still pointing at his head. Valkyrie's vision was blurred by the tears, but the gun didn't waver as she kept it pointing at him.

_Do it, _whispered a faint voice in her head. _Kill him. He deserves it. Or let me out and I'll do it. Just say yes. Kill him._

Valkyrie screwed her eyes shut and shook her head screaming. "Shut up. Just shut up!"

Erskine didn't frown at her as he knew who she was talking to, and he smiled as his mouth found the strength to move.

"Listen to her." he said softly. "She's right. I _don't _deserve to live. What I have done is unforgivable, but, haven't you yourself done things so unforgivable? Hasn't Skulduggery?"

Valkyrie's face hardened. "We didn't do things _consciously, _you did. We didn't kill our closest friends due to a selfish act. You murdered them out of sheer petulance. They just wanted to protect you and you murdered them you son of a bitch."

Valkyrie held the gun tighter and she kept it's aim at Erskine's head.

"Val, no!" Dexter shouted as he ran alongside Saracen towards her. Skulduggery reached out his hand and planted it on Dexter's chest, stopping him running any further. Valkyrie looked up at Erskine who was nodding slightly, a faint smile appearing on his lips. Her eyes screwed shut as her tears became floods that streamed down her cheeks. She shook her head and her grip on the revolver lessened, as it fell from her hands, hitting the floor. Valkyrie dropped to her knees as she coughed through her tears, her cries becoming louder. Her head fell into her hands as Dexter and Saracen looked over her, their hearts sinking. Skulduggery stepped up beside her, taking his gun from the floor and returning it to it's holster. He knelt beside Valkyrie, pulling her into his thin, skeletal frame. She gripped his shirt as she cried into it and his hold around her tightened. Dexter and Saracen stared at Erskine as he looked down at Valkyrie, their bodies tense and their fists clenched. Skulduggery had Valkyrie's head under his chin as he stroked her hair with one gloved hand, whispering into it.

"Come on baby girl." he said, standing up and bringing Valkyrie up with him. Valkyrie's hands were still gripping his suit as she stood up, staring into his empty eye sockets. Dexter held out his hand and Valkyrie's slid into it as he took her from Skulduggery's arms. Skulduggery turned back to face Erskine as Dexter wrapped an arm around Valkyrie's waist, walking off with her and Saracen.

"I don't _ever _want to see your godforsaken face again." Skulduggery said. "And if I do, I can promise you, I _will _kill you."

Without another glance, Skulduggery turned away and strode off, placing a hand on Valkyrie's back as they walked. The four of them froze in place as Erskine cried out from behind them. They spun around to see Erskine fall to his knees as Tanith appeared behind him, ripping her sword from Erskine's back.

"_No!_" Valkyrie screamed, pushing away from Dexter, but he kept his arms wrapped tightly around her. Tanith glanced up at Valkyrie, her pretty hazel eyes sparkling with tears. She stepped backwards shaking her head, her eyes not leaving Valkyrie.

"I'm sorry." she whispered. "I couldn't let him just get away with killing him. I loved him, Val. I love you." Tanith turned and spun, disappearing into the wind. Valkyrie broke free of Dexter's hold and ran over to Erskine who was lying on his back. She knelt beside him, supporting his head with one hand and stroking his cheek with another. Tears dripped down her cheeks as blood poured from the edge of Erskine's lips.

"I'm sorry, Valkyrie. I truly am. I hope you can find it in your heart one day to forgi-" Erskine's words trailed off as his heart gave one last beat and his lungs gave him one last breath. Valkyrie rested his head on the ground and stood up, her eyes not leaving his. Dexter's hand curled around hers and Skulduggery stepped up beside her, Valkyrie interlocking her hand with his. The four of them stepped back as Valkyrie clicked her fingers, summoning a flame into the palm of her hand. She let it drop and she watched as the flame enclosed around Erskine's corpse. Valkyrie had Dexter's and Skulduggery's hands in her own, with Dexter placing a hand on Saracen's shoulder as they walked off, leaving the fire to burn and die in those beautiful golden eyes.


End file.
